Why Manchester United should avoid signing James Rodriguez
According to Spanish publication AS (h/t Daily Star), Manchester United are interested in signing Real Madrid star James Rodriguez and could offer Paul Pogba in the deal.
Rodriguez, 28, joined Real Madrid after a brilliant 2014 World Cup campaign, where he was the Golden Boot winner. He then enjoyed three brilliant seasons at Bernabeu before Zinedine Zidane arrived for his first term in charge of the club.
The Colombian saw limited game time under the French tactician and was sent on a two-year loan spell to Bayern Munich. However, his time in Germany didn’t help him and he has now fallen down the pecking order at Real Madrid. He has not been at his best in the last couple of years and thus, United should avoid signing him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done a decent job in the last few months and has taken his side to 5th position in the league. The arrival of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January has been a huge boost to the team as their attack has developed, and the Portuguese playmaker has been taken centre stage at Old Trafford.
United are on an 11-game unbeaten streak and there has been a massive difference in their performance since the turn of the New Year. The manager has also preferred youngsters in the majority of the games and they have repaid the faith by putting in impressive performances.
Fernandes, Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira are three players available in the attacking midfield role. While the Portuguese sensation has done enough to claim the spot for himself within a short time, Mata and Pereira are capable of being a backup for Fernandes.
Thus, there is absolutely no need for United to sign another attacking midfielder and so, they should not make a mistake by signing Rodriguez from Real Madrid.
The former Monaco man has featured in just 7 La Liga games and has not been in action since October last year. And if United sign him, Rodriguez could eventually end up on the bench due to Fernandes’ top-level performance. The Colombian might have to fight for his spot.
Rodriguez has been out of form for the past two years and his inclusion to Solskjaer’s squad could also be difficult for the manager to include him in the starting XI, especially when the team looks set.
Read More
- Why Timothy Fosu-Mensah is surplus to requirements at Manchester United
- Why buying Giovanni Di Lorenzo would offer Manchester United plenty of options in defence
Verdict
With almost a near-perfect squad and adequate options in the attacking midfield role, United making a move for Rodriguez would not make sense. Instead, they should look to bring in reinforcements to other areas on the pitch.
